How to match paint colors to photos
July 19, 2012
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Soooo…remember that loooong list I made weeks and weeks and WEEKS ago? Well, it’s still not done. Mostly done, kinda. But not done. I did get some big things off the list, and one of them was the powder room that’s been in shambles for well over a year now.
Shambles my peeps. A YEAR. Year and a half now? I thought it was less, but no. A good 18 months.
It started out like this:
It was fine for a while, but geesh, it was SO dark. And brown. With more brown.
And then one day I could not handle it anymore. The trim in here was never done to my liking (more on that in another post), and I was just SO OVER the chocolate brown.
So I decided to take the trim down and paint it. And I got as far as the ceiling:
It’s sat like this (notice the fan cover missing?), with meeeellions of holes in the walls, random stencils and curiously enough, those chocolate brown walls I couldn’t stand anymore (hmmm), for about six months.
This is because I came up with about 50 other things I want to do in this little room…so I kept putting it off.
Then last fall I was having a party and freaked out and slapped a coat of paint on the walls. And by “slapped a coat,” I mean no cutting in, brown bleeding through, painted around the mirror and didn’t even take it down.
And I thought that was better than the dark brown??? Oh my.
I liked this look so much, it stayed like this for nine more months. Did I say this room has been a mess for 18 months? I meant two years.
Anyway, a couple weeks ago we had another party and I was SO fed up, I finally cut in and then took the mirror down and finished the first coat I started eons ago:
I didn’t even do the second coat though, because as I was painting I was deciding I didn’t want to keep it this color. That’s what it’s like living with me people…aren’t you glad you don’t have to? :) I mean really, it’s been two years, it’s time for a change.
I am moving to gray/blue tones in the rest of the house and I want this little room to be FUN. So I found my inspiration for the FUN – a painting the Bub painted for me for Mother’s Day:
I know, it’s brilliant. I know.
I love the colors in the painting, and I am determined to use at least a couple of them. Bare with me – it’s going to be good. (In my head it is.) There’s lots more going on in here I’ll tell you about soon, but for now I need to figure out the perfect paint color.
So I used a photo of my son’s Picasso-like talent art to find matches on the Sherwin William's site – and it pulled out a perfect reddish pink color:
It’s the Fireworks color and it’s not too red, not too pink (this is a room the hubby and kiddo use after all). I’ll have to take a look at in the room to see how it works, but I thought it pulled some really pretty colors from the art.
So, do you think I’m crazy for the blue/reddish idea? I swear it will come together…I’m willing to place bets. ;) At this point, I’m just happy that after three years I have a bathroom that has a fan cover and looks presentable, at least at first glance. Don’t look too close, please.
See how this powder room redo turned out here!
How much do you love the Chip It!!?!?!? SO amazing right...i posted about it this week too...too fantastic not to share!!
ReplyDeleteCheers
~ Jillian
www.hersplitends.com
Sarah, you've managed to pull off colors that amazed me, so no doubt you'll do it again. I can't wait to try Chip It! I love the Parakeet, Lagoon and Fireworks especially and just to add another idea with the others tumbling around in your head, what about Parakeet walls and accent with Fireworks and Lagoon and Bud's excellent painting framed would pop!?
ReplyDeleteI love both colors so can't wait to see what you do! I also never heard of Chip It and that is inspiring! Holy smokes!
ReplyDeleteI'm so going to get chip it! Love navel. The color not the belly button.
ReplyDeleteum, HELLO COOLEST THING EVER! I LOVE IT!! Thank you for sharing! I am totally obsessed!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see how this turns out! I love the red and blue idea...been really liking all the coral and navy I've been seeing out and about!
ReplyDeleteI just started working on our family room and we painted the walls light blue to go with our red couch. I was super nervous, but the colors are so pretty together. I can't wait to see how your powder room turns out!
ReplyDeleteHow fun, I need to chip it. Can't wait to see what you do next. Hugs, Marty
ReplyDeleteI really need to try this out! Love the colors it pulled for you. We used Obstinate Orange in my son's room. What a fun space...can't wait to see what you do with it!
ReplyDeleteChip It is fun :-) Now...go get that bathroom done!
ReplyDeleteMy friends had a bathroom left in an undone, peeled-shiny-wallpaper-mostly-off-of-the drywall for 9, yes nine, years! I don't know how they lived with it that way. The end result after their re-do was beeoooteeeful!
Now...I say again, get that bathroom done :-)
Seriously??? Like I need more ways to waste, er spend, time on the computer instead of getting things done ??? Just kidding - this is a very cool tool - I could (and probably will) spend hours playing with it ...
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Patty
I don't know if I should thank you or smack you for suggesting the Chip It tool...like I needed another thing to play with on my laptop!!! But seriously, I absolutely LOVE it and can't stop. One day I really need to get off the laptop and start painting! :)
ReplyDeleteI love that light blue/gray color! I really love the red/pink as well though, can't wait to see how it looks! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to see how it turns out!
ReplyDeleteWow.. I'm so envious. I am scared of painting; I wear more than gets on the walls. I love your new color scheme; can't wait to see it when you are done!
ReplyDeleteIf it makes you feel any better, I started my little girl's room last spring a few months she was born and promised myself to finish it before she turned 1. She's now 13 months, and her room is no closer to being finished. It'll be my luck that by the time I'm done, she'll be old enough to tell me she doesn't like it. Heh!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely going to have to check out Chip It!! That is awesome!
ReplyDeleteoooh, can't wait to see this. I think we end up liking the things that are risky all the better in the end. And I'm always comforted to know that I'm not the only one that paints one coat, leaves it for year (ie. my spare room), then decides that it might need a color change;)!!! I am the queen of ALL that!
ReplyDeleteYour blog was the first I read. I have found solutions to many of my decorating concerns by reading and viewing your work. My home is much like yours. I have that corner fireplace and TV placement situation. When I moved here three years ago in August, I started a slow redo. The powder room had rodeo cowboys wallpaper and stars on the lights which was "cute". Under that was another layer of large ugly flowers from the 90's. Finally got it back to the drywall and the primer on last summer. I cannot wait to see what you have planned. Good things come to those who wait. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteLove the "chip it tool". Going to check it out now! I will definatly use this tool for my next room painting project!
ReplyDeleteWay to go Sherwin Williams! Chip It! seems amazing! I look forward to seeing the transformation of your powder room. :)
ReplyDeleteOoh aah, me likey! Firework is such a nice shade. So sweet that you are decorating with your son's picture in mind.
ReplyDeleteSO fun....I just love Chip It!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to try ChipIt! That is brilliant. If you do go with those colors I hope you frame Bub's art and hang it in there.
ReplyDeleteI sent you an email with a link to Chip IT, too :)
ReplyDeleteI thought *I* was the only one that left a half-bath half-painted for more than a year. Sigh. And I went ahead with another major project before finishing that one. . .and now school has started. . .if nothing else, blogs keep you accountable!! Can't wait to see what you do with this space :)
ReplyDeleteI am now obsessed. I've chipped every photo I've saved on my computer for the last 5 years. Thank you!!!
ReplyDeletelove the chip-it...had never heard of this so thanks for passing it on - now I can take some of the photos from pinterest and get the paint colours
ReplyDeleteCheryl from Ontario
I love the blue color you used? What is it?
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